Stolen Statues Remain at Musée Guimet Over a Decade After Discovery

A 12th century stone statue of Lord Vishnu

France’s national museum of Asian art, the Musée Guimet, is currently in negotiations with the Nepalese government over two stolen statues, the Art Newspaper reports. The two stelae were removed from a public display more than a decade ago, when historian Lain Singh Bangdel spotted the statues and provided proof that they were stolen.

The loot includes a 12th century stone statue of Lord Vishnu and a 13th century statue of Shiva-Uma. They were reportedly stolen in the late 1970’s  from Chyasalhiti, Patan and 1984 from Nasamna Tole, respectively. A museum spokeswoman told TAN“We intend to reach an agreement regarding the artifacts in advance of a major show devoted to Nepalese artifacts planned for 2016.” She added that the French Ministry of Culture is now reviewing the matter.


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